Quieter on Saturday, otherwise staying wet

After a drier (but often cool and cloudy) interlude, wet weather is returning with avengeance this week, although it will temporarily become warmer south of the Scottish border during today and tomorrow, and Saturday looks set to be a relatively dry quiet day.

Today has started off dry and sunny in many areas of the country, but we already have cloud and rain spreading from the south-west into southern parts of England and this rain will spread north-eastwards to cover most other regions by late afternoon. Most of Scotland will miss the persistent rain though, with a mix of sunny intervals and scattered showers instead. A warm, muggy feel will develop in the south as the rain belt pushes through and introduces warmer air, and much of the Midlands and southern England will reach 15 to 17C during the afternoon. Further north temperatures will be close to the seasonal average, reaching between 13 and 15C in most places.

It will be a warm night tonight in the south with temperatures not dropping below 11-13C, but most of Scotland will see the temperature drop to the region of 2-5C before cloud and rain spreads in from the south during the second half of the night. This will set all parts up for a humid day tomorow, which will be dull and wet in Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England, but the Midlands, Wales and southern England will start off mostly dry and cloudy. Some sunshine and a scattering of sharp showers will develop over England and Wales during the rest of the day, and it will turn out pretty warm, with highs of 17 to 19C widespread and perhaps a 20C locally. Brighter showery weather will also extend across Ireland, though it will be somewhat cooler in Ireland with highs of 11-13C. In Scotland, under the cloud and rain, it will be a cold day with highs between 7 and 10C.

On Friday the rain belt will spread southwards again introducing cooler bright showery weather to all parts of the country by late afternoon. This will set us up for a quieter interlude on Saturday with most places dry under a ridge of high pressure, and it will be sunny early and late in the day but the afternoon may turn out cloudier in most places.

Sunday will be a similar day in southern England but elsewhere wet and windy weather will be spreading in off the Atlantic- and yes, next week looks like continuing rather on the wet and breezy side, so still no sign of a taste of summer for the foreseeable future.

Published on 9th May 2012 10:46 Updated: 9th May 2012 10:46